Obama skeet-shooting photo has a BIG problem…

Aside from all the observable anomalies in the photo…

The White House has asked that it not be photoshopped, but the attached metadata shows that it has already been done by a “Pete Souza”…

Image Width = 4096
Image Length = 2730
Bits Per Sample = 8, 8, 8
Photometric Interpretation = RGB
Image Description = President Barack Obama shoots clay target on the range at Camp David, Md., Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
Make = Canon
Model = Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Orientation = top/left
Samples Per Pixel = 3
X Resolution = 240
Y Resolution = 240
Resolution Unit = inch
Software = Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Macintosh)
Date Time = 2013-02-01 17:11:38
Artist = Pete Souza*
YCbCr Positioning = centered
Copyright = This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
Exif IFD Pointer = Offset: 1350
[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/320″
F Number = F4
Exposure Program = Manual
ISO Speed Ratings = 400
8830 = 2
8832 = 400
Exif Version = 30, 32, 33, 30
Date Time Original = 2012-08-04 19:19:21
Date Time Digitized = 2012-08-04 19:19:21
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Shutter Speed Value = 8.32 TV
Aperture Value = 4 AV
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Max Aperture Value = F2.83
Metering Mode = CenterWeightedAverage
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 170mm
Subsec Time Original = 0.31″
Subsec Time Digitized = 0.31″
Flashpix Version = Version 1.0
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 1
Exif Image Height = 1
Focal Plane X Resolution = 160
Focal Plane Y Resolution = 160
Focal Plane Resolution Unit = 4
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Manual exposure
White Balance = Auto white balance
Scene Capture Type = Normal
A431 = 042033006980
A432 = 70/1, 200/1, 0/1, 0/1
A434 = EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
A435 = 0000c06a59
[Thumbnail Info]
Compression = JPEG Compressed (Thumbnail)
X Resolution = 72
Y Resolution = 72
Resolution Unit = inch
JPEG Interchange Format = Offset: 2056
JPEG Interchange Format Length = Length: 8285
[Thumbnail]
Thumbnail = 160 x 107

*Bold type by poster for demonstration purposes

[link to official White House Flikr account]

www.flickr.com...

Honestly though, who really cares?

So? Its the President, I would have been more surprised if that picture was not touched up in someway.

reply to post by homeslice


Because it's a lie.

And lies are like rats -- where there's one you know about, there are many many more you don't.

reply to post by opethPA


I could probably overlook this altogether if the photo and the photoshopping thereof weren't separated by 6 months.

reply to post by SBMcG


Explanation: Uhmmm?

Pete Souza [wiki]

Pete Souza (born 1954) is an American photojournalist and the current Chief Official White House photographer for President Barack Obama and Director of the White House Photography Office. He was the Official White House Photographer during President Ronald Reagan's second term, 1983–1989. He was a photographer with Chicago Tribune (Washington bureau), 1998–2007; during this period he also followed the rise of Senator Obama to the Presidency.

petesouza.com

Bio: Pete Souza [petesouza.com]

Pete Souza is the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama; he is also the Director of the White House photo office.

Souza is on an extended leave of absence from Ohio University's School of Visual Communication where he is an assistant professor of photojournalism. He has worked as an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan, a freelancer for National Geographic, and as the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune based in their Washington bureau.

Souza's book, "The Rise of Barack Obama," was published in July 2008 and includes exclusive photographs of the Senator's rise to power. Souza extensively documented Obama's first year in the Senate and accompanied Obama to seven countries including Kenya, South Africa and Russia. The book was on the New York Times bestseller list for five weeks.

Personal Disclosure: Seems legit!

He adds EXIF comments to his photo. Anyway, the idea was for no one to create a modification of the photo after release.

reply to post by OmegaLogos


I had already looked up Mr. Souza's bio. I should have posted that in my OP... Thank you for pointing out that he is in fact the official White House photographer.

Still, the image has been photoshopped.

Why?

What?

And why would the White House ask that no one else photoshop a now public image...?

Originally posted by SBMcG
Because it's a lie.

No, for some strange reason you want it to be a lie - so you claim it is.
With nothing at all to back your claim up.

Originally posted by homeslice
Honestly though, who really cares?

The Whitehouse cares...apparently.

If it's a staged photo, it's an example a fakery...from the government...again.

reply to post by roadgravel


OK. But the fact is, it was opened and modified in Photoshop CS6 in some way or another.

Originally posted by hellobruce

Originally posted by SBMcG
Because it's a lie.

No, for some strange reason you want it to be a lie - so you claim it is.
With nothing at all to back your claim up.

The opposite is true. I want to be able to trust my government.

This may be nothing. I admit that.

but for whatever reason the photo was opened and altered in Photoshop CS6 and it is not clear from the metadata exactly what alterations were made.

reply to post by SBMcG


Seems to be by the original photographer. They didn't claim it was never altered in any way. It's obvious they released it for people to see but wish that people do not turn it into a cartoon.

Originally posted by roadgravel
reply to post by SBMcG

 

Seems to be by the original photographer. They didn't claim it was never altered in any way. It's obvious they released it for people to see but wish that people do not turn it into a cartoon.

The original was opened in Photoshop CS6 6 months after it was taken and altered in some way.

Again, that may mean nothing.

Do you find it odd that this photo was taken 6 months ago, photoshopped in some way yesterday, and released now?

reply to post by SBMcG


Go look at the White house's Flickr feed...

www.flickr.com...

Select any image, I've tried 4 random ones and the exif data is the same as the skeet shooting image. (the software at least.)

They've all been opened by Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Macintosh).

It's obviously the program used to resize, retouch, or whatever the images before uploading.

There's nothing abnormal here.

fakest photo I have seen in forever...I mean really? they want to pass that off as real?

reply to post by SBMcG


When they decide to release it, the photographer decides to add comments for usage rights. Nothing strange in my mind.

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by SBMcG

 

Go look at the White house's Flickr feed...

www.flickr.com...

Select any image, I've tried 4 random ones and the exif data is the same as the skeet shooting image. (the software at least.)

They've all been opened by Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Macintosh).

It's obviously the program used to resize, retouch, or whatever the images before uploading.

There's nothing abnormal here.

edit on 3/2/13 by Chadwickus because: (no reason given)

And if there were no obvious anomalies in the actual photo, I would agree with you.

Notice the angle of the shotgun, the recoil (or lack thereof), the seemingly distorted right wrist...?

Originally posted by roadgravel
reply to post by SBMcG

 

When they decide to release it, the photographer decides to add comments for usage rights. Nothing strange in my mind.

Fair enough, and you might be right.

But this photo does not smell right to me as an experienced shooter.

That's why I put this info out there for my ATS friends to examine as well.